Dedicated to exposing the abuses of human rights, threats to the security of the free world, and attacks on general decency committed by Communist China, and to influencing policy in the free world to ensure these egregious acts do not go unopposed.

Monday, October 31, 2005

Communist China covering up young girl’s bird flu death: The first human bird flu causalty in Communist China – of which we are aware – came in Hunan Province, where a twelve-year-old girl died and her eight-year-old brother is underquarantine. The cadres have pulled out all stops to keep this news from reaching the outside world – to the point of cremating the girl’s body (Mingpao via Epoch Times) – but local villagers, “including people in the Shebu Town Clinic, were convinced that the girl died of bird flu” (Epoch Times). Said villagers are scared and angry, one saying “that the CCP never takes people’s lives seriously, and as a result, the people suffer.” Just call it SARS redux.

Communists panicked by five-million-plus resignations from Party: The reaction of the anti-Falun Gong 610 Office to the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party was revealed in what the Epoch Times called a “secret internal document.” Liu Jing, head of 610, apparently warned that the Commentaries “greatly challenged” the legitimacy of the Party. Meanwhile, the family of imprisoned dissident Wang Bingzhang added their names to the 5¼ million ex-Communists (Epoch Times).

Cadres digging up corpses when families can’t pay burial fees: Just in time for Halloween, cadres in Guangdong Province “arrived to exhume at least two bodies of recently deceased villagers” (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times), because their families couldn’t pay the burial fees of more than $1,250. Angry villagers “blocked local traffic and detained two officials,” demanding compensation for the reburial of their loved ones.

Communist-appointed Lama visits Shigaste: The “rare trip” for the cadre-picked Panchen Lama was mentioned in the Washington Times, which strangely enough omitted the fact that the Dalai Lama’s choice for the post has been imprisoned for over a decade.

Japan gets new, more anti-Communist, cabinet: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled his cabinet, moving anti-Communist Shinzo Abe (BBC) into the number two slot of chief cabinet secretary (which is also the usual place for the next Prime Minister). Another anti-Communist Taro Aso, is the new Foreign Minister (BBC).

Hu Jintao leaves Stalinist North Korea: The Communist leader ended his visit to Stalinist North Korea (BBC), after promising “more co-operation” for the colonists’ disastrous economy and receiving high Stalinist praise (Washington Times, last item).

U.S. not happy with SNK reactor demand: Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, the lead U.S. envoy in the debacle that is the six-party talks on the Stalinists’ nuclear ambitions, insisted SNK would “deeply regret” (Washington Times) its recent light-water reactor demand. One can only assume Hill has quite the sense of humor.

South Korean opposition rips government decision not to vote on UN resolution: President Roh Moo-hyun decision to abstain on the United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning SNK’s human rights abuses (thirteenth and eighth items) was ripped by the hawkish Grand National Party (Chosun Ilbo, SK, courtesy OFK). More on the northern Korean colony after the commentary pieces on Communist China.

On persecution in Communist China: Attorney Gao Zhisheng spoke to Wu Ming (Epoch Times) about what inspired his open letter to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao calling for an end to the Falun Gong War (sixth item). Zhang Xiaomin, Epoch Times, details the latest casualty figures, if you will, from that war, while Chen Yonglin and Hao Fengjun talked to Vincent Brossel of Reporters Without Borders and the Epoch Times about “the CCP’s infiltration, control and manipulation of the media in China and overseas, including its operation of the Internet blockade.”

From He Qinglian: The economist-turned-dissident spoke to Lin Heshun and Lu Qingshuang (Epoch Times) about the Communist/media myths of “reform.” She also wrote a column for the paper on the real Communist economy.

Woe Canada! Globe and Mail runs away with Ignorant Comment(s) of the Day: With so many contenders – all of whom meet te qualification of never mentioning the dangers to Western security about investing in Communist China – the winner, by a nose, was Gordon Pitts, whose Globe and Mailpieces on Nortel also ignores the role of ZTE Corporation and Huawei Technologies in helping Saddam Hussein integrate his air defenses. Meanwhile, G&M’s Heather Scoffield, Marcus Gee, and Bob Carrick do their own investment cheerleading for Communist China. Clearly, none of them talked to Professor Zhang Qingxi and Dr. Gao Weibang (twelfth item).

Yet through the darkness, a white knight steps forward: Ed Clark, head of Toronto-Dominion Bank, told the Globe and Mail this: “he has no interest in chasing the Chinese dragon . . . . TD once had a small presence in Hong Kong, but that has since been shuttered. The bank has no beachheads on the mainland.” After years of telling people where not to put or spend their money, we may finally have a haven in this bank (and its U.S. investment arm, T-D Waterhouse).

More on Communist China and Canada: Andrea Mrozek, Western Standard, details Canada’s support for the Communists’ hideous “one child” policy (lead, lead, tenth, second, ninth, ninth, thirteenth, and lead items) through its funding of the United Nations Population Fund (note: this would have won the Enlightened Comment of the Day, if she hadn’t quoted me and thus set me up for some conflict of interest issues). Ezra Levant, Calgary Sun, finds the governing Liberal Party’s fantasy of substituting Communist China for the U.S. as Canada’s major trading partner to be laughable (let’s hope he right). Paul Wells, author of the MacleansInkless Wells Blog, notes the cost of repression in the cadres’ search for academic greratness: “an emerging theme in even the cheerleading journalism out of China: that even as it rises, it's rising a little . . . crooked.”

Doctor Norbert Vollertsen, one of the true heroes in the fight for northern Korea’s liberation, talks to Friendly Bog One Free Korea, who posted the interview in twoparts.

More on Stalinist North Korea: David Jones, Washington Times, would have won the Ignorant Comment of the Day in a runaway but for the Globe and Mail fiasco above; his piece on his visit to the Stalinist regime was positively awful. James G. Zumwalt’s Washington Times piece is far better, but even he omits liberation from his “three options.” Andrew Salmon, Washington Times, reviews the 1968 U.S.S. Pueblo debacle.

Friday, October 28, 2005

One of the most politically incendiary issues in America today is the state of our border with Mexico, and understandably so. When the economics of cheap labor and the concern for national security clash – with the political gas can of racial tension thrown in for good measure – the result is almost guaranteed to be explosive. Many in the anti-Communist community, particularly within its “right wing,” are deeply concerned about the border, but even they consider the two issues as separate. That is a mistake. In fact, Communist China’s contribution to, and exploitation of, the border fiasco may very well lead to a solution on this issue without fanning racial flames.

Let’s begin with an examination of Communist China’s role causing the migration of people north. Whatever one thinks of the increasing stream of illegal/undocumented immigrants from Mexico (not all of whom are Mexican), nearly all agree that the Mexican economy’s weakness plays a role. What is not as well known is the damage Communist China has done to the Mexican economy in recent years. Ever since the U.S. granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to the Communist China in 2000, its exports to the U.S. have surged, in many cases replacing Mexican exports. The upshot of Communist substitution for Mexican goods in the American and Mexican economies (more on the latter later) has cost Mexico an average of 100,000 jobs a year over the last half-decade. Mexico’s economy simply can’t handle that kind of annual body blow.

The solution to Communist China’s crowding out of Mexican goods in the U.S. is roughly the same as it is for American goods – cancellation of PNTR, a currency-corrective tariff against the Communists’ deliberately devalued renminbi, and, of course, helping the Chinese people liberate themselves from the Communists, which would end their use of prison labor and their refusal to allow for independent labor unions. While these actions would make many “free-traders” uncomfortable, it must be remembered that Communist China is not conducting its trade policies as part of an attempt to enter the world economy (as, for example, India is doing), but rather as part of its anti-American foreign policy that is fueling the Second Cold War. We now know that the Communists are not only damaging America and its Asian allies, but Mexico as well.

So clearly, the folks who are worried about the influx of people from Mexico should be worried about Communist China, but why would the reverse necessarily be true? That comes from the lesser-known, but badly damaging, traffic that goes trough the porous border from north to south – Communist Chinese contraband goods going into Mexico.

Although Mexico can’t do much about Communist Chinese goods replacing their exports in America – that’s our job, see above – it actually does have strong tariffs on many Communist Chinese imports into its own country. Unfortunately, Communist China has found a way around that, as was discovered by the Washington Post:

Customs officials said the typical route for Chinese contraband is for goods such as pajamas, pants, bras and tennis shoes to be smuggled into California ports by ship, then driven over the U.S.-Mexico border in trucks. Mexican officials said the goods are sometimes repackaged to make them appear to be from Pakistan or another countries (sic) whose goods are subject to lower tariffs or none at all to enter Mexico. And sometimes, officials said, a customs agent is paid to look the other way.

In other words, the same lax border used by millions of people to enter the United States is also used by the Communists to send their goods – illegally – into Mexico. While one cannot keep detailed statistics of this shadow trade, “The volume of Chinese contraband is huge; private industry estimates say 50 percent of clothes and shoes sold in Mexico are made in China” (Post).

For the anti-Communist community, the implications are clear. Communist China’s exploitation of the Mexican economy is directly related to the troubled U.S.-Mexican border. Anyone worried about American consumers funding the Communist military should be just as concerned about Mexican consumers doing the same thing, although admittedly on a smaller scale. A tightened border can not only save Mexican jobs, but can also greatly reduce this Communist income stream.

However, this issue goes well beyond the need for anti-Communists to pay at least some attention to the border. It also provides evidence that a tightened border – so long as it is just as stringent on Communist Chinese goods leaving the U.S. as it is on people entering it – could have a political constituency within Mexico itself, and if the estimates quoted above are accurate, said constituency could be far larger than anyone can imagine. It could even lead to outright cooperation from Mexico City on a tightened border; it would certainly remove the myth that Americans worried about the border issue are somehow anti-Hispanic.

Yours truly had paid little attention to the issue of the border until September11, 2001. That day changed plenty of minds. However, this is about more than simply the fate of the United States, as important as that is to me and my fellow Americans. This is, once again, about the Chinese Communist Party doing anything to preserve its power, and in the Second Cold War, it has already made the Mexican economy a subsequent casualty. America – and Mexico – will never be secure until the day China is free. If the two neighbors can understand that, and recognize the benefits a vigilant eye over their shared border can be for both of them, that day will come much sooner.

Another cyberdissident arrested: Communist China put cyberdissident Shi Xiaoyu behind bars for “his online reporting on workers' protests in the southwestern industrial city of Chongqing” (Boxun). For more on those protests, see second and lead items.

Mainlanders bring resignation statements to Hong Kong: Hong Kong is becoming a transit point for Communist Party members who are willing, but unable, to resign from the party. One mainlander “brought a list of more than one thousand people who wanted to withdraw from the CCP” (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party has become a sought-after souvenir for mainlanders.

Communist China tinkers with tax code to help impoverished peasants: As part of its plan to “reduce economic disparity” (BBC), Communist China has decided to “raise the income tax threshold.” Actually combating the corrupt cadres who rob the impoverished peasantry blind was not on the Communists’ list of possible solutions.

China Construction Bank makes struggling IPO: The Communist-owned bank barely stayed above its initial offering price. The weak performance was blamed on “concern about bird flu in the region” (BBC); but one wuld have to assume the bank’s corruption (sixteenth item, seventh item), its bad loans (twenty-first item), and its need for tens of billions in bailout money (twenty-fourth item) had some effect.

Pentagon wants to keep training Taiwanese pilots: The Pentagon “submitted a proposed contract with Taiwan to Congress to continue training Taiwanese F-16 fighter pilots in Arizona” (UPI via Washington Times). The contract would ensure that the training and logistics support for the island democracy “would continue as before.”

Hu Jintao in the northern Korean colony: The Communist leader is “in North Korea for a rare visit expected to focus on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program” (BBC).

More on Stalinist North Korea: Andrew Harding, BBC, has a silly puff piece on the SNK food situation. Friendly Blog One Free Korea rips dovish South Korea for its refusal to support (Chosun Ilbo, SK) the European Union’s resolution to the United Nations General Assembly on the Stalinists’ human rights abuses (next to last item). OFK also and takes note of SNK’s eerily choreographed Arirang festival.

Woe Canada! Foreign Minister’s aide attacks supporter of pro-Taiwan bill: In what Paul Wells (Macleans) sarcastically called a “stellar performance,” Dan McTeague, Member of the Canadian Parliament and parliamentary secretary to Canada's Foreign Minister, hurled ad hominem attacks at Carleton University Professor Andrew Cohen over the latter’s support for a bill by Opposition MP Jim Abbott calling for closer Canadian relations with the island democracy of Taiwan (next to last item).

Anti-Communist Hong Kong columnist – “We are still a colony”: This is how Apple Daily columnist Kin-ming Liu ends her Washington Post piece lamenting one-country, one-and-a-half systems – “Eight years after the Hong Kong handover, I miss the British. Oddly enough, I didn't like them when when they ruled Hong Kong as a colony. But when I look back, I recall life as seeming more promising in those days than what we are facing today. And we are still a colony.”

Historian debunks Communist Chinese myths about World War II: Communist China has repeatedly told its own people “that the communist forces bore the brunt of the fighting against the Japanese” (Epoch Times). In fact, as historian, Mr Xin Haonian noted in his recent lecture at Sydney University (Australia), the Communists actually made “secret deals with Japan to obtain counties for their partnership.”

On Communist China and the United States: Martin Walker, UPI (via Washington Times), talks to U.S. Navy Admiral William J. Fallon, head of the Pacific Command and, sadly, someone who seems intent on drinking the “engagement” kool aid.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

UPDATE: Small Dead Animals weighs in on Premier Lorne Calvert trolling for Communist Chinese investors in Saskatchewan oil and uranium fields (fifth item below).Communist-owned firm conspired to send surface-to-air missiles into United States: Xinshidai, a Communist-owned missile production firm, “is accused in a scheme to illegally export Chinese missiles to the United States through organized crime groups” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times), in particular surface-to-air missiles that could attack aircraft. A subsidiary of Xinshidai – the China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation – “has produced a shoulder-fired missile known as the HN-5.” This is just a small part of the Communists’ Cold War with the U.S., as Charles R. Smith of Newsmax explains in the Enlightened Comment of the Day.

Syria gets cover from Communist China at UN: In New York, an effort by the U.S., France, and Great Britain to push the United Nations Security Council to pressure Syria on its role in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri has garnered opposition from – no prize for guessing – Communist China (Washington Post).

U.S. demands more from Communist anti-piracy efforts: The U.S. “would seek a special review from China on efforts to crack down on counterfeiting and piracy” (UPI via Washington Times) due to the fact that said piracy has continued unabated in recent years. Japan and Switzerland also raised a red flag on this issue (Newsmax).

Woe Canada! Saskatchewan Premier looking for Communist oil investors: Lorne Calver, Premier of Saksatchewan, has gone to Beijing and opened up his province’s oil and uranium fields to Communist Chinese “investment.” He even gushed that the cadres “floated some ideas for the actual purchase of [oil field] properties that they would develop themselves” (Globe and Mail, Cdn.). One can only imagine what Friendly Blog Small Dead Animals (headquartered in Saskatchewan) thinks of this.

Zhejiang anti-pollution activist arrested: Communist police have arrested Tan Kai, a co-founder of an environmentalist group founded “after monitoring the situation in Huashui Town in Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province in April this year following complaints by local residents that a chemical factory was causing serious environmental pollution” (Boxun). For more on the Zhejiang pollution issue, see sixth item.

Founder of CITIC dies as fellow “red capitalist” gets whitewash: Rong Yiren, the original “Red Capitalist” (cadre who used his connections to enrich himself) and founder of the Communist-owned China International Trust and Investment Corporation, died (BBC). Meanwhile, another cadre/tycoon, Zhang Yuchun, gets a puff-piece profile in the London Telegraph – note the complete lack of reference as to how Zhang acquired the land he used to build us palaces and development projects.

Communists hiding second bird flu outbreak in Inner Mongolia: Inner Mongolia has had a second bird flu outbreak (Epoch Times). The cadres have refused to acknowledge it as of this hour (sound familiar?). Meanwhile, they are also claiming a young girl who died Hunan “tested negative for bird flu” (UPI via Washington Times).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Today’s winner is Robert Novak, whose latest column (in Townhall) regurgitates Communist propaganda without disagreement and strongly hints that any problems the Communists have with the U.S. is America’s fault.

More on Communist China and the United States: The Epoch Times was kind enough to reprint my blog post on President Bush’s failure to face reality on Communist China. Thomas Wiegand, of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, opines that Taiwan will be “the most difficult problem” (UPI via Washington Times) between Communist China and the U.S., but sees the problem in a far more reasonable light than, say, Mr. Novak.

On human rights in Communist China: Lev Navrozov, Newsmax, turns his keen eye to the Falun Gong War. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions condemns Communist China’s continuing internet crackdown (via Boxun). New Tang Dynasty Television (via Epoch Times) reports from a Paris fourm on the five-million-plus resignations from the Chinese Communist Party.

SNK refugee, now in Mexico, wants to come to the United States: A refugee from Stalinist North Korea who made it to Mexico “wants to get to the United States and doesn't particularly care whether he does it legally or illegally” (JoongAng Daily, One Free Korea). Is there any chance we can have the Minutemen steer clear of this guy?

EU resolution on SNK heads for UN General Assembly: The resolution, “expressed serious concern about North Korea’s rejection of UN humanitarian deliveries from the end of the year and urges the North to give humanitarian groups full access to the country so they can monitor much-needed aid” (Chosun Ilbo). It also “calls for an end to human rights violations such as torture and illegal detention, singling out the brutal treatment of defectors who are caught or repatriated.” One Free Korea was highly impressed.

On the perils of $un$hine in South Korea: South Korea’s doves are taking it on the chin these days. Choe Sang-Hun, International Herald Tribune, examines the woes of Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il’s former favorite South Korean firm: Hyundai. One Free Korea notes Senator Hillary Clinton joining in the “bi-partisan sport” of ripping the South’s increasing hostility towards the U.S., while SNK defector Hwang Jang-yop channeled the spirit of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn’s Harvard speech (JoongAng Daily, One Free Korea). The biggest slap, however, may have come from the South Korean voters in legislative by-elections: not only did the governing, dovish Uri party get shut out, but the hawkish opposition Grand National Party managed to take a seat from the hard-left Democratic Labor Party (JoongAng Daily, One Free Korea).

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

South Korean website blocked by Communists: Internet users in Communist China can no longer access the Korean-language China Daily. Unlike the cadres’ propaganda sheet of the same name, the Korean version cites “the Epoch Times, Observe China and other Chinese Web sites that report the truth about China.”

Putin has high praise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced to a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that the anti-American grouping (third item) was “acquiring an increasing international weight” (BBC). The SCO, which includes Communist China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, was created “as a counterweight to the US.”

CNPC wins court battle for PetroKazakhstan: Meanwhile, Communist ownership of PetroKazakhstan, which is based in the country that partially forms its name but in fact is Canadian, moved closer to reality when a Canadian court “turned down an attempt by Russian oil firm and rival suitor Lukoil to block the sale” (BBC). However, Lukoil “may yet make another appeal, this time to the Stockholm Arbitration Court.”

Senegal drops Taiwan, establishes relations with Communist China: Senegal, which had been “one of 26 countries . . . which maintained relations with Taipei” (BBC), broke off ties with the island democracy in favor of Communist China. The cadres will not allow any nation to have diplomatic ties to themselves and Taiwan, over which they claim sovereignty despite having never set foot there.

Another bird flu outbreak: Communist China reported “its third major outbreak of bird flu in two weeks” (BBC). This one was in Hunan Province, where “545 chickens and ducks died of the virus . . . and almost 2,500 had been killed as a precaution.” The Communists still insist that no humans have died; then again, they hid SARS for months.

On the Falun Gong War: Erping Zhang talks to Wen Hua, Epoch Times, about the spiritual movement’s determination against the Communists. Wen also spoke to practitioner-turned-prisoner-turned-exile Li Wenxun.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Last week, Ramkumar Srinivasan, a writer for the Epoch Times, wrote an impassioned defense of President George W. Bush. His column was detailed and well-written; it also just happened to recommend an earlier article I wrote for my blog on the Hainan outrage and its possible effect on 9/11/01, which the Epoch Times was kind enough to reprint. Thus, it might seem odd that yours truly would decide Mr. Srinivasan is, at least in part, mistaken about the President. However, the truth, painful it may be, is this: unless the President ends “engagement” with Communist China, the War on Terror could be lost.

For nearly everyone who has opined on this President, the discussion of failure or success has centered around two countries: Iraq and Afghanistan. This myopia is understandable, but wrong. Whatever one thinks of Iraq, Afghanistan, or the larger War on Terror, they are all part of the Second Cold War, which Communist China has fought against the U.S. since at least 1989. The President, like his predecessor and his father, has refused to acknowledge, let alone fight, the Second Cold War. This failure has made the War on Terror more difficult to win, and if continued, it will make the war impossible to win.

Let us begin in Central Asia. Note that I do not say “Afghanistan,” which is, at the very least, a tactical success. Unfortunately, this Administration seems to believe that the Taliban and al Qaeda are the only enemies in this region. Nothing can be further from the truth. Communist China’s ties to al Qaeda are long, and its long-time ally Pakistan installed the Taliban and protected it for years. Pakistan’s current leader, Pervez Musharraf, knocked out an elected government in 1999, and struck a deal with Taliban-supporting elements to isolate Pakistani democrats three years later. In fact, Pakistan, to this day, still considers al Qaeda terrorists in its eastern regions to be its allies in its in the dispute with India over Kashmir (Kaushik Kapisthalam, United Press International via Washington Times), despite their links to the London terrorist attacks of this past July. Yet the Administration has said and done almost nothing on this, allowing Communist China and its Pakistan ally to continue supporting al Qaeda elements. By limiting the Central Asian theatre to Afghanistan, the president has allowed al Qaeda to survive in Pakistan. An anti-Communist foreign policy would have seen al Qaeda’s part in the larger anti-American coalition being put together by Communist China, and worked with Pakistani democrats to ensure a government friendlier to Washington and more hostile to al Qaeda and Communist China. Instead, America’s enemies are allowed to strengthen. Meanwhile, India, the largest democracy on the planet and longtime rival of Communist China, is left to wonder why only America is allowed to wage total war against al Qaeda.

As for Western Asia (again, not “Iraq,” to limit the discussion to Iraq is to completely misunderstand the situation), clearly, the Iraqi people are trying to move forward and build a post-Saddam republic with a government reliant upon popular consent. However, the effort is beset by enemies on both sides (Syria and Iran) that have in fact been allied with each other for over a quarter of a century, and have both been a recipient of military and economic aid from Communist China. However, while the Administration is starting to press Syria on this issue, Iran’s continuing efforts to undermine the will of the Iraqi people (National Review Online) have received no criticism from Washington. Even the recent reports of Iran’s involvement in attacks against British troops in Iraq (BBC) have been met by mere words (BBC). Again, as in Central Asia, the Bush Administration has made its efforts far too narrow. As such, it has largely ignored Communist China’s ties not only to Iran and Syria, but also to Saddam Hussein’s former regime. Again, an anti-Communist President would have “connected the dots,” recognized Iraq’s role in a larger battle between freedom and dictatorship in the region, and taken active steps to liberate its neighbors. Instead, Syria and Iran continue to plot against America with impunity, as its joint benefactor, Communist China watches in the background.

In East Asia, the failure is far easier to see. The recent debacle on Stalinist North Korea was the sad, but inevitable, result of a policy that refused to see Communist China for the enemy it really is. Thus, when the Communists’ de facto colony rattled its own saber on nuclear weapons, Washington foolishly looked to the Communists to help fix the problem. The result was three years wasted to useless negotiations as Pyongyang and Zhongnanhai strengthened themselves. However, this is far from the only mistake the Administration has made here. Throughout the region, neighbors of Communist China see its rise with trepidation. They are looking to the U.S. for leadership against the Communists. What they have gotten instead is more War on Terror tunnel vision.

Meanwhile, in Africa, Communist China’s policy to make the world safe for dictators has earned it more puppet regimes – among them Zimbabwe (DailyStandard) and Sudan (UPI via Washington Times) – and Communist China has become an anti-U.S. foil across the Western Hemisphere, from caudillo Hugo Chavez to Canada’s Paul Martin.

Again, the problem is not the War on Terror, as it is known, per se. The problem is the Administration’s refusal to recognize that War’s part of the larger Second Cold War. The fact that Communist China has supported all of the terrorists against whom we have fought, and their sponsors, is either ignored or dismissed. Thus, as powerful and dangerous as the terrorists and their sponsors may be, the greater danger – Communist China – is allowed to hide behind them, even as it continues to enable them to kill more Americans and Westerners. What the U.S. must recognize is that the root of the anti-American, pro-terrorist enemy it faces is not al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein, Bashar Assad, or even the Ayatollah Khameini. It is the Chinese Communist Party.

At present, most Americans are not aware of Communist China’s role as the largest supporter of terrorism on the globe. As such, the President’s contemporaries have (mostly) spared him from well-deserved criticism. History will not be so kind. I believe America will win Cold War II – and thus the subsidiary War on Terror – but victory will come at a far greater cost of blood and treasure than would have been necessary had the danger been recognized earlier. President Bush is not alone in this mistake in omission, but he must share the blame for continuing it. America will never be safe until China is free. Until President Bush, or one of his successors, recognizes this fact, neither the Second Cold War nor the War on Terror will ever be won.

Communist use anniversary of end of Japanese rule on Taiwan to rehash claim to it: Communist China marked the 6oth anniversary of Taiwan’s liberation from Japan to insist, again, that the island democracy is “an inalienable part of China's territory” (BBC), and thus must be under Communist control – despite the fact that the cadres have never set foot there. Taiwan’s elected President Chen Shui-bian took exception.

International Labor Organization notes, but discounts, Communist textile surge: The report published by the group found that “China's share of the global (textile) market has grown by 3% to 16% since January when global limits came to an end” (BBC). Despite the cheery comments, the ILO “was unable to give an exact figure on the number of jobs that had been lost.” What nations were part of the lost 13% of market share was not discussed (see also fifth, fourth, second, fifth, and third items).

Communist China angry at South Korea over report of contaminated food import: Communist China “is considering possible retaliation against South Korea” (United Press Int’l via Washington Times) after the South “announced Friday that it had found the eggs of parasites in kimchi, or spicy pickled cabbage, imported from China.” Of course, the cadres don’t like their own people hearing about tainted foods either (twenty-fifth item).

Cadres end “red chip” curb; defector warns against investing in Communist China: The Communists have junked a law that required domestic firms “to get their permission before setting up subsidiaries to list abroad” (BBC) for stock sales. Thus, will mean more “red chip” stocks will be available for investors. Before jumping in, they may want to hear from defector Chen Yonglin, who “warned Western businesses that they should not increase investment in China because the political environment there is dangerously unstable” (Epoch Times) due to a “totally corrupted” Communist regime.

Protestors on the rise in Tiananmen Square: The number of protestors in Tiananmen Square was over 300 last week, as appellants (petitioners) “after going through all levels of officials in the appealing process, have already lost hope in the Chinese government and are seeking more effective ways of protest in Beijing” (Epoch Times). In response, the Communist cops resorted to “dragging the protesters away like luggage,” including “a veteran who had fought against the Americans in Korea.”

Attorney calls for an end to Falun Gong War: Gao Zhicheng made his call in an open letter to Hu Jintao reprinted by the Epoch Times. Meanwhile, the founder of the spiritual movement predicts the regime that is persecuting his followers will fall (Clearwisdom).

On persecution of Christianity in Communist China:Life Site News comments of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s report (sixth item) on the Communists’ persecution of Roman Catholics. John Downing, Toronto Sun, weighs in on persecution of Christians in general. Andrew Carlisle, Epoch Times, examines why Communist regimes past and present have feared religion.

More on human rights in Communist China: Matthew Forney, Time Asia, suggests, convincingly, that the Communists’ “white paper” on democracy (fifth item) is more a deliberate rejection of outside calls for freedom than a false claim to providing it. Rebecca MacKinnon (Rconversation) finds the cadres’ battle to control the internet is, sadly, going very well. Tom Zeller, New York Times (via International Herald Tribune), examines the latest surge in anger at Yahoo’s sellout of Shi Tao (fourteenth, fifth, lead, third, eighth, seventh, third, and fifth items). Reporters Without Borders (via Boxun) rips the continuing imprisonment of Straits Times reporter Ching Cheong (sixth item).

Woe Canada! As part of a wider column criticizing the Canadian government of Prime Minister Paul Martin, the Calgary Sun’s Paul Jackson wants to know why “Communist China, with 1.2 million men and women in its armed forces, 700 missiles aimed at tiny democratic Taiwan, a space program that just sent two men into orbit, and a nation making multi-billion takeover bids for western companies, is the biggest recipient of Canada's foreign aid program.”

On the resignations from the Chinese Communist Party: Feng Changle, Epoch Times, relays the story of a student in Communist China who “openly submitted a withdrawal request to the CYL (Communist Youth League) Committee of his school.” Meanwhile, a rally for the five-million-plus ex-Communists inspired by the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party was held in San Francisco (Epoch Times).

Stalinists admit to 21 South Koreans held: Stalinist North Korea “has admitted it is holding 21 South Koreans either captured during the 1950-53 Korean War or subsequently” (BBC). The dovish South Korean government, “wary of campaigning too hard” on behalf od abductees “for fear of damaging relations,” pressed SNK on “about 52 POWs and 51 citizens it believes were abducted after the war.” Most observers not interested in soothing Kim Jong-il’s feelings put the abductee numbers at roughly 1,000.

More on Stalinist North Korea: Friendly Blog One Free Korea has a two-partpost on the “Mad Kingdom” (quotes are to attribute, not mock). One of OFK’s sources was the BBC's Andrew Harding. Donald MacIntyre made his own trip for Time Asia. Dave Eberhart, Newsmax, sees the U.S. “getting more defensive about North Korea” (until someone in the Administration publicly calls for liberation, this quarter remains skeptical.

More on the Communists’ northern Korean colony: Tong Xinzong, Epoch Times, examines Communist China’s continued forced repatriation of refugees from Stalinist North Korea. One Free Korea rips Bill Richardson for his “jaw-droppingly stupid pronouncements” on SNK. The Bush Administration freezes the assets of eight Stalinist “entities” (Washington Times, last item) that were “proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and delivery vehicles.” A high-ranking Stalinist dies (BBC). Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wraps up his trip to South Korea (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). William Arkin, Washington Post, marvels at the worst-kept secret in Korea: plans for possible military action against SNK (no, he doesn’t endorse liberation either).

Dispute over East China Sea drilling continues: Japan “dispatched two envoys to Washington this month to brief Bush administration and State Department officials on what authorities here described as a ‘major threat to Japanese sovereignty’” (Washington Post). The breach would be Communist China drilling for natural gas in a disputed part of the East China Sea (tenth and sixth items). Communist China was its usual duplicitous self, refusing to admit it “was already drilling in the area” but calling any attempt by Japan to drill “an invasion of Chinese territory and . . . a highly provocative act.”

European Parliament hears testimony from Chen Yonglin and Hao Fengjun: The two high-profile defectors discussed the cadre’s overseas espionage and intimidation network to an EP seminar on human rights in Communist China (Epoch Times).

Ignorant Comment of the Day: Today’s dubious prize goes to Eric Margolis, Toronto Sun, for his refusal to accept Communist China as the enemy it really is.

More on Communist China and the United States: Michael C. Borja, NBC (via MSNBC) and the editors of the Washington Times have their takes on Defense Secretary Rumsfeld’s Communist China trip, and both are shot through with conventional wisdom. Meanwhile, William Hawkins, U.S. Business and Industry Council, notes Congress’ growing concern about possible Communist buy-outs of U.S. firms (Washington Times).

On the Falun Gong War: Wen Hua, Epoch Times, examines one of the more hideous forms of Communist persecution against Falun Gong practitioners: sexual abuse.

Communists intensify Nine Commentaries crackdown; resignations are celebrated: Communist China is resorting to “police abductions, searching homes, confiscating possessions, dismissal from work, forced labor, jail time, and in some cases, even murder” (Epoch Times) to stop the spread of the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party, which has inspired over 5 million resignations from said Party (eighth item). Rallies in support of the ex-Communists were held in New York (EpochTimes) and Prague (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, Ian Rudge, also in the Epoch Times, detailed the significance of the resignations for both Communist China proper and Tibet.

Friday, October 21, 2005

House church leaders arrested and beaten: Communist China raided a retreat for house church leaders in Hebei province yesterday, arresting 50 church pastors and beating several of them (World Net Daily). The pastors “planned to discuss how best to help the poor, the orphaned, and the floating population in urban areas” (China Aid Association via Epoch Times). House churches are the most common places of worship for the tens of millions of Christians who refuse to attend cadre-controlled churches.

Cadres rely on corruption for their income: A survey put together by several regime departments admitted “that 31 provincial administrative regions have violated the 1997 State Council Officials Compensation standards” (Epoch Times). The ways cadres are lining their pockets included “diverted local tax revenue, embezzlement of the national territory development fund, cutting the government engineering project fund, accounting fraud, inflating the number of personnel in the organization, and other devices.”

Communist China admits, late, to bird flu: Vice Premier Hui Liangyu acknowledged that bird flu situation was “very severe” in Communist China. However, the first reports of the flu came “two months after the outbreak began” (Central News Agency, Taiwan, via Epoch Times). How far the disease spread during that time is not known.

Mao’s home town part of Communists’ tourism campaign: Communist China has “designated this year as the year of Red Tourism, an initiative designed to re-kindle faith in the present-day Communist Party” (Independent, UK). Among the focal points for the campaign is the home town of the murdered of tens of millions, Mao Zedong.

Lee Teng-hui calls for Taiwan to have “separate identity” and rips Communists: Former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui told an audience at the National Press Club that Communist China wants to “annex Taiwan” (Washington Times). He also called on for changing Taiwan’s name to the Republic of Taiwan “to reflect its separate identity.”

Hu Jintao to visit Stalinist North Korea: The Communist leader will go next week, his first trip to SNK since taking over the Central Military Commission last year (BBC).

More on the Communists’ northern Korean colony:Bill Gertz, Washington Times, hears from General Leon LaPorte about the situation at the demilitarized zone. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson hears reassurance from the Stalinists that they will be at the next round of six-party nuclear talks (Washington Post, last item). Andrew Salmon’s column on SNK’s economy is done a disservice by the Washington Times headline writers. South Korea wants more control over its military should war ensue, and the U.S. has agreed to “speed up discussions” (BBC) on the subject.

Communist China arrests mother of Calgary resident in reaction to protest: Kevin Duan, a Falun Gong practitioner who escaped Communist China for Calgary in 2003, “attended an Edmonton press conference to recount his experience of being tortured” (Epoch Times) in Communist China. Here’s what happened next: “Hours later, his worst fear had been realized—his mother, 64-year-old Liu Yueyu, was kidnapped by authorities in Guangdong. Police put her through hours of interrogation about her son before she was released and went into hiding. She hasn’t been heard from since.” Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua is due to “lead a 200-member delegation to Vancouver in late October.”

Falun Gong protestor gets doused with water at consulate in Australia: Meanwhile, Emmy Pfister, a Falung Gong practitioner who was staging a demonstration at the Communist consulate in Brisbane, Australia, demanding the cadres “stop participating in the persecution of Falun Gong, or risk being sued when they travelled outside of China” (Epoch Times), had her protest interrupted by “a large amount of water . . . hosed down upon her from the rooftop of the apartment block directly above the unit occupied by the consulate officials.” Undaunted, she “continued to read as if nothing happened.”

Communist economic growth still white-hot, according to cadres: Communist China boasted of an economic growth of 9.4% so far this year (BBC). How credible this is, given the cadres’ history of number-fudging (fifteenth and tenth items), is another story.

Hong Kong democrats blast “reforms”: Pro-democracy members of Hong Kong’s legislature ripped the “reforms” proposed by the city regime (second item) as leading to “so little change that endorsing it would be a betrayal of the public” (Washington Post).

Communist car salted for export to Europe gets “zero” safety score: The Jiang Ling Landwind, “expected to arrive in British showrooms within months” (London Times), scored lower than any other car – domestic or import – in at least two decades.

On Communist China vs. India: Lin Zhen, Epoch Times, ponders the potential of the world’s largest democracy – and geopolitical rival to Communist China – to supplant the Communist regime as the lead economic power in Asia.

An urgent plea for help: The non-profit Life Funds for North Korean Refugees wrote an open letter to South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun calling on him to help five SNK refugees caught in Communist China, including Kang Song-hee, who would be sent back to the Stalinists for the third time, and would likely be killed (via One Free Korea).

Stalinist North Korea using Russians to send missile tech to Iran: According to the London Telegraph (cited by Ben Shapiro, World Net Daily), ex-Russian military officers are serving as middlemen for “regular clandestine shipments of top-secret missile technology” sent to the mullahcracy by the Stalinists.

Top Powell aide rips Bush for not talking to SNK soon enough: Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff to Colin Powell when the latter was Secretary of State, ripped the Bush Administration for “the long refusal to engage with North Korea” (UPI via Washington Times). Given the fiasco that said “engagement” has wrought (One Free Korea), one has to wonder what Colonel Wilkerson is thinking.

Stalinists rip Hyundai for axing corrupt official: The regime “warned Thursday it would cancel its business deals with South Korea's Hyundai Group unless the firm restores its North Korea point man” (UPI via Washington Times). Said “point man,” Kim Yoon-kyu, was fired “for purportedly embezzling $1.1 million in company funds.”

Bush to meet Roh next month: The summit between the presidents will come on day before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation regional summit (Korea Herald).

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Resignations pass five million; one ex-Communist killed for withdrawal: A police officer in the city of Xi’an “declared his resignation from the CCP and even returned his gun, as he had also decided to quit his job with the Xi’an public security bureau” (Epoch Times). That was in June; later that summer an unknown assailant attacked Han, who died within the week. Despite horrific actions like this, the number of ex-Communists passed five million yesterday. James Burke, Epoch Times, examines the meaning of the resignations, while the documents that started it all, the Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party, were launched in Australia (Epoch Times).

Rumsfeld repeats calls for openness on military spending and democracy: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld “visited the Central Party School, which trains future Communist leaders” (BBC) and once again questioned the “non-transparent nature” of the Communist defense buildup. Communist Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan insisted no such buildup exists. Rumsfeld also called on the Communists to end its dictatorial rule: “Every society has to be vigilant against another type of great wall that can be a burden on man's talents and is borne from fear of them – a wall that limits speech, information or choices . . . history teaches us that it is impossible, in practical terms, to isolate any people for long” (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

Former President Lee says Taiwan needs long-range missiles: Lee Teng-hui, Taiwan’s former president and democracy pioneer, warned that Communist China’s military superiority over the island democracy has led to a need for “‘some kind of long-range missiles’ that would give (Taiwan) an offensive capability” (Washington Post).

Now Communist China takes aim at Google: Less than a week after Google stopped labelling the democracy a Communist province (third item), a Communist mouthpiece in the U.S. “told the Sing Tao Daily that he was disappointed by the decision” (BBC).

Communist China issues “democracy” white paper: The Hu regime showed some rhetorical ledgerdemain with a new white paper allegedly on “democracy and political reform” (BBC). However, the actual goal the Communist set out was “socialist democracy with its own characteristics” – i.e., Communist tyranny by another name. To those who do put faith in the Communists’ willingness to democratize itself, this quarter offers one word: Taishi (fifth, tenth, sixth, lead, third, third, lead, lead, and lead items).

Communists admit to bird flu, but insist no humans infected: Communist China “announced a fresh outbreak of bird flu, saying 2,600 birds have died from the disease in Inner Mongolia” (BBC). However, the Communists claim “that the latest outbreak had been detected at a small farm with fewer than 10,000 birds, mainly chickens, geese and peacocks” and that there were no human infections. Can you say SARS-like coverup?

Hong Kong reveals “reforms”: The Hong Kong regime announced a new plan that would “include expanding the membership of the election committee from 800 people to 1,600 people, and expanding the legislature, the Legislative Council, by 10 seats - five of which would be directly elected by the public” (BBC). In other words, the city legislature would still be half-controlled by largely pro-Communist “functional constituencies” and the “election committee” which chooses the Chief Executive of the city, would have twice as many Communist appointees. Reform this certainly is not.

Dalai Lama to visit DC: Tibet spiritual leader and head of its government-in-exile “will make a high-profile 10-day visit to Washington next month, during which he is expected to meet with President Bush” (Agence France Presse via Washington Times).

On Taishi: Sadly, it appears the fact the Lu Banglie managed to survive his beating has dulled the interests of the rest of the world in the battle between Taishi’s villagers and its cadres (fifth, tenth, sixth, lead, third, third, lead, lead, and lead items). Rconversation tries to steer the conversation back to where it needs to be.

On Communist China and the United States: Robert Samuelson, in the Washington Post, takes note of the danger Communist China’s “combination of low wages, a huge market and an artificially low currency” poses to American manufacturing (although a discussion of the repressive policies that keep those wages low would have been nice).

On human rights in Communist China: Mo Shaoping told a Yale Law School audience how hard it is to be a criminal defense attorney in Communist China (Epoch Times). Calin Stefan, Epoch Times, reports from a seminar in Timosoara, Romania on the similarities between the former Romanian Communist regime and the CCP.

More on Stalinist North Korea: Donald MacIntyre, Time Asia, visits SNK, and finds he can’t actually see much. Friendly Blog One Free Korea hails the safe arrival of a refugee who lost her feet to Stalinist torture (seventeenth item), continues his lament of what he considers the South Korean opposition’s lack of vision on the Kang Jeong-koo affair (ninth item), and recounts his BBC debate with dovish ex-Ambassador Donald Gregg.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Rumsfeld visits Communist China, but not before questioning its military spending: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld “began his first visit as defense secretary to China” (Cybercast News). Before he left, Rumsfeld “questioned China's motives in underreporting its defense spending” (Newsmax). It wasn’t the first time he had asked the question (third item). After Communist China, Rumsfeld is headed to South Korea (One Free Korea). Also reporting: United Press Int’l via Washington Times, BBC

Communist China meddles in Taiwan elections, rails at Lee Teng-hui U.S. visit: Communist China is using its economic muscle to draw businessmen and farmers away from President Chen Shui-bian’s “pan-green” alliance (Liberty Times via Epoch Times). Among other things, businessmen looking to invest in Communist China “were advised to ‘act with restraint’ when making political donations to pan-green alliance candidates.” Meanwhile, one of Chen’s leading “pan-green” allies, former President Lee Teng-hui “arrived yesterday in Washington on his first visit to the U.S. capital, amid fierce criticism of the trip by China” (Washington Times).

New Zealand’s new Foreign Minister opposes trade with Communist China: As part of Helen Clark’s coalition government in New Zealand, Winston Peters, head of the New Zealand First Party and a leading opponent of trade with Communist China (Scoop, NZ) is the new Foreign Minister (BBC). This should make Kiwi-land interesting to watch.

Communist China wiping out Burmese forests: Global Witness has accused “Chinese timber companies” (BBC) of “devastating large stretches of Burma's forests” through illegal logging. The deforestation “is going on with the knowledge of the Burmese and Chinese authorities.” Communist China is one of the Burmese military junta’s few allies.

Art world under “economic invasion” by Communist military: The art community has found a new and insidious competitor in the quest for valuable works of art: the People’s Liberation Army (Bloomberg). How are the cadres funding their “economic invasion of the global art market?” They’re using arms sales to among others, Iran.

Communist China plans to go back into space in 2007: Fresh off its second space flight in two years (sixth item), Communist China “said the next mission would take place in 2007, and would include a space walk” (BBC).

Commentary: Minxin Pei, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, puts the Chinese Communist Party on Foreign Policy magazine’s list of “endangered species in our midst” (Epoch Times). Michael Scroccaro, Epoch Times, reviews the Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents from Reporters Without Borders. Human rights lawyer Ye Ning talks to Xin Fei, Epoch Times, about the five million resignations from the CCP (seventh item). Daniel Williams, Washington Post, recaps the recent, and disturbing, détente between the Communists and the Roman Catholic Church. Finally, Sony CEO Howard Stringer, drinks the Kool-aid on Communist China (Newsmax); he obviously didn’t talk to Professor Zhang Qingxi and Dr. Gao Weibang (twelfth item).

Richardson in SNK for talks: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson “arrived in Pyongyang yesterday for talks with senior North Korean officials . . . at the invitation of the North Korean government” (Washington Times, second item). The former Clinton-era United Nations Ambassador had this to say of the current Administration: “I am not an official envoy, but I am supportive of the administration's new initiative to engage the North Koreans in dialogue through diplomacy.” Thanks for the reminder, Governor.

Professor’s support for Stalinist causing controversy: Dongguk University Professor Kang Jeong-koo “allegedly glorified North Korea's 1950 invasion of the South” (UPI via Washington Times), which would violate South Korean law. Dovish Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae banned the prosecution from jailing Kang. In reaction, “Prosecutor General Kim Jong-bin resigned in protest” and the hawkish opposition Grand National Party is furious. Meanwhile, Friendly Blog One Free Korea would just like the focus to be on why the Stalinists should be hated, instead of whether or not Kang should be in jail.

More from One Free Korea: The Friendly Blog comments on a public relations battle between the South Korean doves and the late General Douglas MacArthur.

Ignorant Comment of the Day: The dubious prize goes to Carol Rueckert, an American “tourist” in Stalinist North Korea (BBC).